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| Theoryofrelativity |
 Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2007 11:58 am Post subject: Genius in Technology needed - million pound project |
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I have had an idea of a device that will save householders hundreds if not thousands of pounds in damages resulting from house hold floods caused by defective/worn washers.
Need a genius to design 100% unique product that can then become as popular as the plastic tip on the end of a shoelace.
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:02 am Post subject: |
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Perhaps a pressure pump and sensor. Pump some air into the washing chamber and see if the pressure drops by more than a certain amount in a certain time. If it does, no water gets pumped into the chamber. Did you have something similar happen to you recently?
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| Theoryofrelativity |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:33 am Post subject: |
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| KALSTER wrote: |
| Perhaps a pressure pump and sensor. Pump some air into the washing chamber and see if the pressure drops by more than a certain amount in a certain time. If it does, no water gets pumped into the chamber. Did you have something similar happen to you recently? |
I was thinking more along the lines of some type of smart washer (a 'washer' is a small polo shaped rubber ring, not washing machine) with a chip in it that can send an alarm when it is worn.
I had two floods recently, toilet leak and central heating boiler.
Toilet leak did a lot of damage.
Both causes was a 2p washer that had worn.
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 1:55 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: |
| I was thinking more along the lines of some type of smart washer (a 'washer' is a small polo shaped rubber ring, not washing machine) with a chip in it that can send an alarm when it is worn. |
Lol, ok. Maybe then a combination of colored washers that turn black after a certain period and if in the future we all can afford smart houses, it's AI could warn you of impending replacements/disaster or could even go sofar as to turn off the water supply. Oh, that just gave me another idea. Maybe a timer-valve could be installed in the water supply to your toilet or whatever that swithches off when it runs for longer than should be reasonable? You should also be able to switch it off when not in use for appliences that do not have a specific time for water intake. I assume the boiler should have a constant pressure. so if it drop due to a leak, a sensor-valve could cut off the water supply. The pressure should be proportionate to the heat in the pipes, so the temp control and valve could be one unit.
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| Theoryofrelativity |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 3:42 am Post subject: |
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| KALSTER wrote: |
| Quote: |
| I was thinking more along the lines of some type of smart washer (a 'washer' is a small polo shaped rubber ring, not washing machine) with a chip in it that can send an alarm when it is worn. |
Lol, ok. Maybe then a combination of colored washers that turn black after a certain period and if in the future we all can afford smart houses, it's AI could warn you of impending replacements/disaster or could even go sofar as to turn off the water supply. Oh, that just gave me another idea. Maybe a timer-valve could be installed in the water supply to your toilet or whatever that swithches off when it runs for longer than should be reasonable? You should also be able to switch it off when not in use for appliences that do not have a specific time for water intake. I assume the boiler should have a constant pressure. so if it drop due to a leak, a sensor-valve could cut off the water supply. The pressure should be proportionate to the heat in the pipes, so the temp control and valve could be one unit. |
This all sounds very good.
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:16 am Post subject: |
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Yes I know. Maybe you could take out a patent on the concept and then sell it to a large corporation, let them design and make it. 
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| Theoryofrelativity |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:44 am Post subject: |
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| KALSTER wrote: |
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Yes I know. Maybe you could take out a patent on the concept and then sell it to a large corporation, let them design and make it. |
can't patent ideas unfortuntely
Only way to do this would be to make a device that could not easily be replicated, so complex, efficient yet not worth while trying to duplicate and yet make suifficiently different so as not to breach a patent.
Meanwhile since posting this I did read about the guage on wtaer meter and how that can be sued to indicate a leak somewhere and details then on how to track down the source of a leak. But my epxerience of washers is that they don't drip a tad without causing harm, they just one day 'go' completely.
I suppose what is required ultimately is a washer that does not rot!!!Eurika
A washer that does not 'go' that lasts a lifetime, until eternity. It needs to be able to form a water proof seal and yet never wear thin or decompose/degrade, be resiliant to the effects of lime scale.
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Last edited by Theoryofrelativity on Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:59 am; edited 1 time in total |
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:56 am Post subject: |
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Maybe a silicone(instead of rubber) based product? I'm sure they should be available somewhere? I know you can buy silicone based windshield wipers that are supposed to last a lifetime.
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| Theoryofrelativity |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:03 am Post subject: |
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yep they do seem to have silicone washers, not sure how widely available they are. The washer market is huge, they are made of all sorts. Must be
reason why silicone not widely used??
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 5:12 am Post subject: |
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Well I'd guess those SOBs would make more money from a product that needs constant replacement. I am sure that companies think about this kind of stuff when introducing their product to the market. They have to find a ballance between quality and sustainability. 
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| Harold14370 |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 7:42 am Post subject: |
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| It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a mat with some conductive fibers woven in, and when it gets wet it completes a circuit to set off an alarm. You could put the mat underneath a potential drip site. |
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| KALSTER |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 8:07 am Post subject: |
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| Harold14370 wrote: |
| It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a mat with some conductive fibers woven in, and when it gets wet it completes a circuit to set off an alarm. You could put the mat underneath a potential drip site. |
Good idea 
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| Theoryofrelativity |
| Posted: Tue Dec 18, 2007 4:16 pm Post subject: |
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| Harold14370 wrote: |
| It probably wouldn't be too hard to make a mat with some conductive fibers woven in, and when it gets wet it completes a circuit to set off an alarm. You could put the mat underneath a potential drip site. |
good idea for certain appliances but not those where underneath is generally filled with water anyway like my loo cistern. I think the problem is when it gets wet in first place it's on it's way to being major problem.
I am thinking as kalster says there is no profit in lifetime washers 
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| Guest |
| Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2008 8:19 am Post subject: |
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Yeah nice thought, now hear this!
You can easily switch on/off the mains water supply that is not a problem, you can monitor the floors again fairly easily, but remermber as well as the water coming in(mains) , there is the water stored in the house, maybye 5-15 gallons in the radiator system (and feed tank) maybe 50 gallons in the hot water tank, perhaps another 50 in the cold feed tank.
So with the best protection you could even then be faced with maybe 100 gallons of water. People will claim for whatever this even touches, one drop of water on a carpet...
The best way would be to live on high ground and use a well at the foot of the garden!
Erm one thing on loo systems, it is not unusual for them to get damp, in the winter with your heating turned up, you flush the loo which then refills with cold water, this allows condensation to form readilt on the systern, if you have a radiator in there you could try turning it down or using de-humidifiers to keep the possibility of condensation and damp to a minimum.
Remember that air can hold substantial amounts of water, and the higher the temperature the more water it can 'hold' thus when hot, water laden air cools close to a surface it can no longer support such a high degree of moisture which then condenses onto a surface. (look up dew point on wiki). THis is the very reason your fridge/freezer need de-frosting, the air is so cold it cannot hold any vapour (the air in your freezer will be dry air). |
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